Rene Barbier Mediterranean White NV

The Rene Barbier Mediterranean White wine is a blend of 40% Xarel.lo, 30% Macabeo, and 30% Parellada, three grape varietals I have never even heard of. So this is new for me. Grown in the Catalunya region of Spain which receives the warm breezes of the Mediterranean Sea and protected by the Pyrenees this wine was a real surprise.

So, here’s the low down – the Xarel.lo is a high acid grape pronounced two ways. One is Za-rel-oh and the other is cha-rel-low, take your pick but I’m presuming this is where the high acidity comes from. Macabeo is pronounced Maca-bay-oh and is one of the most planted grape varietals in Northern Spain. The Parellada grape is a high quality grape resisting rot and disease and is pronounced Pa-ray-yada.

Okay, on to the tasting notes – you knew I was going to plop it in here somewhere – right? 11.5% alcohol by volume and citrus aromas mixed with orange peel, lemon rind, and pineapple on the nose left a very pleasant memory in the aroma bank. A medley of peach, honey, lemon, Bosch pear, and apricot on the palate. There was more going on here than I thought would be given the $4.99 price tag.

I paired this with a Caesar salad with chunks of chicken and as many veggies as I could fit in the bowl and used balsamic vinegar for the salad dressing.